UK readers please note: the Black Rock Desert is on Pacific Daylight Time, 8 hours behind British Summer Time.

0645 hrs

The ThrustSSC Team are on the Black Rock Desert, Nevada, USA, for the head-to-head race against the Spirit of America Team to set the first ever supersonic World Land Speed Record.

Microplex Web Cameras

The very latest status of the car and team on the Black Rock Desert can be seen through the live pictures from our Microplex Web Cameras.

Individual Status Reports

Car

1. ThrustSSC has reached a peak speed to date of 540mph during the Jordan2 Campaign in June 1997
2. ThrustSSC has reached a Black Rock Campaign peak speed to date of 517mph on Wednesday 10th September 1997
3. The car is on the desert being prepared for the next runs of the Black Rock Campaign

Team

1. The ThrustSSC Team are settled into life in Gerlach and on the Black Rock Desert

Black Rock Desert, Nevada, USA

1. The desert is dry for some 15 miles and the 13-mile course is good
2. 20 tracks have been surveyed
3. Tracks 9 and 10 have been used
4. Tracks 5, 6, 7 and 8 have been lined and fodded from Mile 0 to Mile 13
5. Tracks 3 and 4 have been lined from Mile 0 to Mile 13

Weather

1. The weather is generally warm to hot with a light breeze. Occasional dust storms are being kicked up by higher winds.
2. Today is currently almost dead calm with a clear sky

Web Site

1. Accesses have passed the magic 1 million a week - currently around 1,033,000
2. We have a temporary problem with the databases server due its extraordinary workload. We are currently working to resolve it.

Jeremy Duck...

... is considering a journey out onto the playa.

Plans

• Car
  2 further runs on the Black Rock Desert are planned for today:
  1. 530mph indicated, approx. 570mph ground speed. Full afterburners, constant speed through the measured mile.
  2. 570mph indicated, approx. 610mph ground speed. Full afterburners, constant speed through the measured mile.
• Black Rock Desert
  1. Continue track preparations
• Web Site
  1. Continue reporting
  2. Fix problem with databases server

Please check our Runs Database for the very latest information on the progress of ThrustSSC - the database is always updated as soon as possible after the car runs - and always before any report is written and published.

(Please note: any details published on this Web Site about the status, speeds and plans of the Spirit of America Team are not official. Official details are available on the Spirit of America Team's Web Site at http://www.spiritofamerica.com

The Spirit of America Team are on the Black Rock Desert, Nevada, USA, for the head-to-head race against the ThrustSSC Team to set the first ever supersonic World Land Speed Record.

1. Spirit of America has reached a peak speed to date of 675mph on the Black Rock Desert, Nevada, USA, during the October 1996 record attempt
2. Spirit of America has reached a 1997 peak speed to date of 328mph on the Black Rock Desert, Nevada, USA
3. Serious engine damage has been sustained due to FOD (Foreign Object Damage) ingestion. The car and team have returned to Rio Vista, California, to install their spare engine. They expect to return to the Black Rock Desert on Saturday to resume their record attempt.

Mazola Excursion

We had a broken telephone handset - what possible use could we put it to? Easy - mount it on the outside of the Pit Station, run the wire into the ground and put a notice above it: "Telephone for media use only"...

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